DOCSLIB.ORG

Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds New research on Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligator weed) in its South American native range Alejandro J. Sosa,1 Mic H. Julien2 and Hugo A. Cordo1 Summary Alternanthera philoxeroides (alligator weed) is a herbaceous amphibious weed of the Amaranthaceae, native to southern South America. Several agents from Argentina, e.g. Agasicles hygrophila and Arcola malloi, have been used to control aquatic A. philoxeroides in Australia and the USA. However, in Australia, the weed continues to pose a serious problem, particularly in terrestrial situations. In Argentina, A. philoxeroides is distributed along the catchments of the Paraná and Uruguay rivers in the north, and in the catchments of the San Borombón and Salado rivers in the centre of Buenos Aires prov- ince. Two forms are recognized: A. philoxeroides f. philoxeroides in the southern range and A. philoxeroides f. angustifolia in the northern range. There appears to be preferential attack by flea beetles on A. philoxeroides f. angustifolia. In 2000, the CSIRO initiated a collaborative research project with the USDA South American Biological Control Laboratory in Argentina to search for new biolog- ical agents. After the initial year of surveys, the natural enemies that may have biological control poten- tial included: two species of leaf-feeding beetles, Systena spp.; a tip-galling Cecidomyiidae fly; and two agromyzid flies, one that causes node galls and another that mines leaves. Two fungi were also found: one probably Nimbya alternantherae, known to have a wide host range, and another, thought to be a new Sphaceloma species, that causes a characteristic “corky” deformation on the stem and leaf surfaces. Surveys will be extended and the interactions between these herbivores and pathogens with A. philoxeroides will be studied. Keywords: alligator weed, Alternanthera philoxeroides, native range, natural enemies. Introduction moth were subsequently released in Australia and controlled the weed in warm temperate aquatic habitats In its introduced range, Alternanthera philoxeroides (Julien 1981). However, terrestrial growth of A. (Martius) Grisebach (alligator weed; Amaranthaceae) philoxeroides and aquatic growth in cooler regions of is often a serious aquatic and terrestrial weed. Surveys Australia continue to cause serious concern (Julien & for natural enemies were carried out in the 1960s in Bourne 1988, Julien & Stanley 1999). parts of its native range in South America (Vogt 1961), Alternanthera philoxeroides consists of several taxa and the flea beetle Agasicles hygrophila Selman and in both its native and adventive ranges. It was first Vogt, the moth Arcola malloi (Pastrana) and the thrips described by Martius in 1826, and named Bucholzia Amyinothrips andersoni O’Neil were released in the philoxeroides. Covas (1939, 1941) considered two vari- USA. Good control was obtained in aquatic habitats, eties of alligator weed: A. philoxeroides var. obstusifolia largely attributed to the flea beetle and the moth (Moquin) Hicken and A. philoxeroides var. acutifolia (Spencer & Coulson 1976). The flea beetle and the (Moq.) Hicken. The former was characterized by the presence of ovate lanceolate leaves with obtuse or sub obtuse apex; whereas the latter variety, acutifolia, has 1 South American Biological Control Laboratory, USDA-ARS, Bolivar lanceolate leaves with acute apex. Pedersen (1967) indi- 1559 (B1686EFA), Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina. cated that Martius did not consider two varieties of alli- 2 CSIRO Entomology, Long Pocket Laboratories, 120 Meiers Road, Indooroopilly, Queensland 4068, Australia. gator weed and he considered that the specimen Corresponding author: A.J. Sosa <[email protected]>. deposited in Brussels, which had ovate or elliptic and 180 New research on alligator weed in South America obtuse leaves, as a good lectotype. However, Pedersen located from Posadas, on the northern Argentina border (1999) suggested that A. philoxeroides be divided into with Paraguay, to Tandil, well south of Buenos Aires. two and he referred to these as forms: A. philoxeroides f. In the field, the presence of fruits and seedlings of A. philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. and A. philoxeroides f. philoxeroides was recorded, and collected for cultiva- angustifolia Süssenguth. tion in the laboratory. Seedlings and stem cuttings were Records from the United States suggest that both collected from four localities and also grown in the forms were introduced there. Ganstad & Solymosy laboratory. Two localities represented the southern (1973) and Weldon et al. (1973) reported that some form, Tandil and Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires prov- plants of A. philoxeroides had small stems, and in some ince, and two represented the northern form, Santa Fé, cases the internodes were solid, and apparently this Santa Fe province, and Hurlingham, Buenos Aires tended to produce a deficient plant that is not preferred province. After 6 months of growth in identical condi- by the flea beetle A. hygrophila. Kay & Haller (1982) tions, 27 plant parameters were measured and found two different forms in the USA, which they compared using principal components analysis. Three differentiated as the narrow-stemmed alligator weed factors were extracted that explained 71% of the total (NSA) biotype and the broader-stemmed alligator weed variance. They were: diameter of internode of leaf one, (BSA) biotype. The NSA biotype was characterized by length/width ratio of leaf one, and leaf apical angle of the presence of slender stems with short internodes and leaf one. ANOVA was carried out to evaluate mean obtuse and rounded leaves. The BSA biotype has differences and Tukey test was used for multiple broader and longer stems and longer and acute leaves. comparisons among pairs of means based on unequal They pointed out a different pattern in the damage sample of sizes. All statistical analysis was carried out caused by A. hygrophila. Populations of NSA seem to using Statistica 5.5. be attacked less than the BSA populations in the USA and both biotypes responded differently to herbicides (Kay 1992). Wain et al. (1984) demonstrated genetic Results differences between the two biotypes in the USA using isozyme pattern analyses. In contrast, no genetic varia- Alligator weed: native ranges, tion was detected within or between populations of A. morphological variation and biology philoxeroides in China using RAPD analysis (Xu et al. Alternanthera philoxeroides f. philoxeroides, the 2003). southern form, was distributed along the catchments of In 2001, the CSIRO (Australia) initiated a coopera- San Borombón and Salado rivers in Buenos Aires prov- tive research project with the USDA South American ince (Fig. 1). It was not found in western Buenos Aires Biological Control Laboratory in Argentina to update province. It was also found in some sites in the north the list of natural enemies known from A. philoxeroides west of Argentina, in township drains, possible outside and to identify potential new biological control agents. the native range. This form has small, ovate leaves, short internodes and slender stems. It occurred in semi- Materials and methods aquatic conditions, in ditches next to roads or along the shores of lakes. Flowering was abundant in summer, Surveys were conducted, mostly in Argentina, but also with short, small inflorescences. in Uruguay, Paraguay and south-eastern Brazil, The second, northern form, A. philoxeroides f. between October 2001 and November 2002. Natural angustifolia, was distributed along the Paraná River enemies were sampled at 93 A. philoxeroides sites. from Posadas and along the Paraguay River from Sites where Alternanthera aquatica (Parodi) Chodat Pantanal region (Brazil). It also occurred along the (ex A. hassleriana) occurred were also sampled. At Uruguay River downstream from Santo Tomé (Corri- each A. philoxeroides site, adult insects were collected entes province). Thus, it extended from the northern either by direct aspiration from plants or after sweeping parts of Buenos Aires province through the north-east with a net, placed in 70% ethanol and sent to taxono- wetlands of Argentina (including Entre Rios and Corri- mists for identification. Other immature insects were entes province, western Misiones and eastern parts of collected alive and reared in the laboratory to adult the provinces that have their eastern borders along the stage. These were also sent for identification. Paraná and Paraguay rivers), and along the south and The extent of the native ranges of both forms of A. east coast of Uruguay and possibly into south-east philoxeroides were approximated using the local distribu- coastal areas of Brazil. This form was also found in the tion of the weed, its morphology, and assessments of north-west of Argentina and at one site in the north of where it grew, i.e. natural areas or highly disturbed loca- Patagonia in Río Negro province (Fig. 1). In these cases tions such as town drains. Herbarium specimens from they were only associated with human activities and representative sites, six stems per site, were collected. For were considered to be outside the native range. Vogt et each of the six stems, two younger leaves were removed al. (1979) suggested that north-western populations and stored in 96% alcohol for genetic analysis. RAPD were isolated relicts or introduced populations. We analyses were conducted on material from seven sites suggest the latter. 181 Proceedings of the XI International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds 70° 65° 60° 55° 50° 45° 40° 15° 15° Native
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Molecular Cloning and Expression Profiles of Thermosensitive TRP Genes in Agasicles Hygrophila
    insects Article Molecular Cloning and Expression Profiles of Thermosensitive TRP Genes in Agasicles hygrophila Dong Jia 1, Zhouyu Ji 1, Xiaofang Yuan 1, Bin Zhang 2, Yanhong Liu 1 , Jun Hu 1, Yuanxin Wang 1, Xianchun Li 3,* and Ruiyan Ma 1,* 1 College of Plant Protection, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China; [email protected] (D.J.); [email protected] (Z.J.); [email protected] (X.Y.); [email protected] (Y.L.); [email protected] (J.H.); [email protected] (Y.W.) 2 College of Horticulture, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China; [email protected] 3 Department of Entomology and BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA * Correspondence: [email protected] (X.L.); [email protected] (R.M.) Received: 29 June 2020; Accepted: 11 August 2020; Published: 13 August 2020 Simple Summary: The increase of hot days with temperatures over 37 ◦C in southern China due to global warming has led to summer collapse of the alligator weed flea beetle, an introduced biological agent for the invasive alligator weed. To promote understanding of the beetle’s adaption/tolerance to hot temperatures, we obtained TRPA1, Painless, and Pyrexia, three thermosensitive transient receptor potential channel genes from the beetle, and analyzed their expression patterns across different developmental stages and hot temperatures. Their constitutive expressions were dramatically different from each other and stage-specific. As temperature increased, their expressions in eggs elevated to their peak levels at 30 or 37.5 ◦C, and then fell back to their preferred temperature levels at temperatures > their peak temperatures. These results imply that (1) they may have different and stage-specific roles in perceiving high temperatures/chemicals and mediating the corresponding responses; and (2) their expressions may be decoupled from their activation.
    [Show full text]
  • Integrated Pest Management: Current and Future Strategies
    Integrated Pest Management: Current and Future Strategies Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa, USA Printed in the United States of America Cover design by Lynn Ekblad, Different Angles, Ames, Iowa Graphics and layout by Richard Beachler, Instructional Technology Center, Iowa State University, Ames ISBN 1-887383-23-9 ISSN 0194-4088 06 05 04 03 4 3 2 1 Library of Congress Cataloging–in–Publication Data Integrated Pest Management: Current and Future Strategies. p. cm. -- (Task force report, ISSN 0194-4088 ; no. 140) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 1-887383-23-9 (alk. paper) 1. Pests--Integrated control. I. Council for Agricultural Science and Technology. II. Series: Task force report (Council for Agricultural Science and Technology) ; no. 140. SB950.I4573 2003 632'.9--dc21 2003006389 Task Force Report No. 140 June 2003 Council for Agricultural Science and Technology Ames, Iowa, USA Task Force Members Kenneth R. Barker (Chair), Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh Esther Day, American Farmland Trust, DeKalb, Illinois Timothy J. Gibb, Department of Entomology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana Maud A. Hinchee, ArborGen, Summerville, South Carolina Nancy C. Hinkle, Department of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens Barry J. Jacobsen, Department of Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology, Montana State University, Bozeman James Knight, Department of Animal and Range Science, Montana State University, Bozeman Kenneth A. Langeland, Department of Agronomy, University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gainesville Evan Nebeker, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State David A. Rosenberger, Plant Pathology Department, Cornell University–Hudson Valley Laboratory, High- land, New York Donald P.
    [Show full text]
  • The Biology of Casmara Subagronoma (Lepidoptera
    insects Article The Biology of Casmara subagronoma (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae), a Stem-Boring Moth of Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Myrtaceae): Descriptions of the Previously Unknown Adult Female and Immature Stages, and Its Potential as a Biological Control Candidate Susan A. Wineriter-Wright 1, Melissa C. Smith 1,* , Mark A. Metz 2 , Jeffrey R. Makinson 3 , Bradley T. Brown 3, Matthew F. Purcell 3, Kane L. Barr 4 and Paul D. Pratt 5 1 USDA-ARS Invasive Plant Research Laboratory, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA; [email protected] 2 USDA-ARS Systematic Entomology Lab, Beltsville, MD 20013-7012, USA; [email protected] 3 USDA-ARS Australian Biological Control Laboratory, CSIRO Health and Biosecurity, Dutton Park QLD 4102, Australia; jeff[email protected] (J.R.M.); [email protected] (B.T.B.); [email protected] (M.F.P.) 4 USDA-ARS Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA; [email protected] 5 USDA-ARS, Western Regional Research Center, Invasive Species and Pollinator Health Research Unit, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710, USA; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +1-954-475-6549 Received: 27 August 2020; Accepted: 16 September 2020; Published: 23 September 2020 Simple Summary: Rhodomyrtus tomentosa is a perennial woody shrub throughout Southeast Asia. Due to its prolific flower and fruit production, it was introduced into subtropical areas such as Florida and Hawai’i, where it is now naturalized and invasive. In an effort to find sustainable means to control R. tomentosa, a large-scale survey was mounted for biological control organisms.
    [Show full text]
  • EPPO Reporting Service
    ORGANISATION EUROPEENNE EUROPEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN ET MEDITERRANEENNE PLANT PROTECTION POUR LA PROTECTION DES PLANTES ORGANIZATION EPPO Reporting Service NO. 1 PARIS, 2021-01 General 2021/001 New data on quarantine pests and pests of the EPPO Alert List 2021/002 Update on the situation of quarantine pests in the Russian Federation 2021/003 Update on the situation of quarantine pests in Tajikistan 2021/004 Update on the situation of quarantine pests in Uzbekistan 2021/005 New and revised dynamic EPPO datasheets are available in the EPPO Global Database Pests 2021/006 Anoplophora glabripennis eradicated from Austria 2021/007 Popillia japonica is absent from Germany 2021/008 First report of Scirtothrips aurantii in Spain 2021/009 Agrilus planipennis found in Saint Petersburg, Russia 2021/010 First report of Spodoptera frugiperda in Syria 2021/011 Spodoptera frugiperda found in New South Wales, Australia 2021/012 Spodoptera ornithogalli (Lepidoptera Noctuidae - yellow-striped armyworm): addition to the EPPO Alert List 2021/013 First report of Xylosandrus compactus in mainland Spain 2021/014 First report of Eotetranychus lewisi in mainland Portugal 2021/015 First report of Meloidogyne chitwoodi in Spain 2021/016 Update on the situation of the potato cyst nematodes Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida in Portugal Diseases 2021/017 First report of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in Belgium 2021/018 Update on the situation of tomato brown rugose fruit virus in Spain 2021/019 Update on the situation of Acidovorax citrulli in Greece with findings
    [Show full text]
  • Paradoxical Landscapes in Colonia Aborigen Chaco (Ex-Aboriginal Reserve of Napalpí, Argentina)
    The International Indigenous Policy Journal Volume 10 | Issue 5 December 2019 Production, Development, and Environmental Policies: Paradoxical Landscapes in Colonia Aborigen Chaco (Ex-Aboriginal Reserve of Napalpí, Argentina) Carlos Salamanca Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina, [email protected] Recommended Citation Salamanca, C. (2019). Production, development, and environmental policies. Paradoxical landscapes in Colonia Aborigen Chaco (ex-Aboriginal Reserve of Napalpí). The International Indigenous Policy Journal, 10(5). doi: https://doi.org/10.18584/ iipj.2019.10.5.8584 Production, Development, and Environmental Policies: Paradoxical Landscapes in Colonia Aborigen Chaco (Ex-Aboriginal Reserve of Napalpí, Argentina) Abstract This article examines the experience of an Indigenous development plan carried out between 2005 and 2010 in Colonia Aborigen Chaco, an Indigenous settlement located in Chaco province, Argentina, originally established in 1911 as the Aboriginal Reserve of Napalpí. On the reserve, inhabitants were forced to settle down as the State appropriated their traditional territories. Here, I propose a critical analysis of this experience with ethnographic description pertaining to the long historical processes that inhabitants of Colonia Aborigen endured, which systematically subjected them to alimentary, educational, productive, and religious routines aimed at transforming them culturally. I intend to demonstrate that it is necessary to review a series of assumptions, which are quite prevalent in Indigenous policies, about what an Indigenous person, an Indigenous territory, and an Indigenous development are supposed to be. I emphatically assert that it is necessary to have a critical approach towards these historical processes of constitution in order to better understand Indigenous rights and development within Indigenous territories.
    [Show full text]
  • A Catalogue of Large Meteorite Specimens from Campo Del Cielo Meteorite Shower, Chaco Province , Argentina
    69th Annual Meteoritical Society Meeting (2006) 5001.pdf A CATALOGUE OF LARGE METEORITE SPECIMENS FROM CAMPO DEL CIELO METEORITE SHOWER, CHACO PROVINCE , ARGENTINA. M. C. L. Rocca , Mendoza 2779-16A, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina, (1428DKU), [email protected]. Introduction: The Campo del Cielo meteorite field in Chaco Province, Argentina, (S 27º 30’, W 61 º42’) consists, at least, of 20 meteorite craters with an age of about 4000 years. The area is composed of sandy-clay sediments of Quaternary- recent age. The impactor was an Iron-Nickel Apollo-type asteroid (Octahedrite meteorite type IA) and plenty of meteorite specimens survived the impact. Impactor’s diameter is estimated 5 to 20 me- ters. The impactor came from the SW and entered into the Earth’s atmosphere in a low angle of about 9º. As a consequence , the aster- oid broke in many pieces before creating the craters. The first mete- orite specimens were discovered during the time of the Spanish colonization. Craters and meteorite fragments are widespread in an oval area of 18.5 x 3 km (SW-NE), thus Campo del Cielo is one of the largest meteorite’s crater fields known in the world. Crater nº 3, called “Laguna Negra” is the largest (diameter: 115 meters). Inside crater nº 10, called “Gómez”, (diameter about 25 m.), a huge meteorite specimen called “El Chaco”, of 37,4 Tons, was found in 1980. Inside crater nº 9, called “La Perdida” (diameter : 25 x 35 m.) several meteorite pieces were discovered weighing in total about 5200 kg. The following is a catalogue of large meteorite specimens (more than 200 Kg.) from this area as 2005.
    [Show full text]
  • Programme and Book of Abstracts
    MONDAY SEPTEMBER 17 19 MANAGING INVASIVE PLANTS IN AUSTRALIA: A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENT McFadyen R Cooperative Research Centre for Australian Weed Management, Indooroopilly, Brisbane Qld The first Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Weeds started in 1995 and the National Weeds Strategy was launched in 1997. The first national eradication campaign against an invasive plant started in 1994, and a ‘Permitted List’ system was adopted in 1998 for entry of new plant species into Australia, using a Weed Risk Assessment System. These were major advances in the management of invasive plants in Australia, and this paper discusses the critical policy issues and turning points along the way. It also considers where policy has failed and the critical challenges for the future. 20 21 CURRENT AND POTENTIAL GEOPHYTE WEEDS OF SOUTH-WESTERN AUSTRALIA Keighery GJ Department of Environment and Conservation, Science Division, Wanneroo, WA [email protected] South Western Australia is an internationally recognised biodiversity hotspot for flowering plants, containing over 6,000 species of which 75% are endemic. Altered land use since European settlement has lead to 1234 naturalised plants becoming established. These now pose a major threat to this biodiversity. Unlike SE Australia shrubs are a minor component of this weed flora, major weeds are grasses, annuals (Peas, Daisies and Brassicaceae) or geophytes. The 107 geophytic weeds present in Western Australia come from 18 families of plants, both Monocots and Dicots, although nearly half are cormous Iridaceae from southern Africa. Unlike many other areas of similar climates, Southern Western Australia is depauperate in geophytes, with about 200 species in our flora of c.
    [Show full text]
  • Arcola Malloi (Pastrana): Alligatorweed Stem Borer Moth Lepidoptera: Pyralidae Current Rating: Q Proposed Rating: D
    California Pest Rating Proposal Arcola malloi (Pastrana): Alligatorweed stem borer moth Lepidoptera: Pyralidae Current Rating: Q Proposed Rating: D Comment Period: 09/27/2019 through 11/11/2019 Initiating Event: An application was submitted for the purpose of releasing A. malloi in California for the control of alligatorweed. History & Status: Background: Arcola malloi, previously known as Vogtia malloi, is native to South America. It was released as a biological agent to control alligatorweed in the United States in the 1970s and in California in 1976. It is now established in the southeastern United States. The adult moth has a wingspan of approximately 30 mm. The female lays eggs on leaves and newly-hatched larvae tunnel into the stems. (Buckingham, 1996). Pupation occurs inside the plant. Arcola malloi attack aquatic and terrestrial alligatorweed stems, which turn yellow and die, and heavily damaged mats eventually rot and sink (Brown and Spencer, 1973). Field observations of 51 species of plants in the native habitat of A. malloi in Argentina, including seven species of Amaranthaceae (besides A. philoxeroides) and 26 species of Chenopodiaceae, did not reveal feeding damage by A. malloi on any except A. philoxeroides (Maddox and Hennessey, 1970). The host range of A. malloi was studied by Maddox and Hennessey (1970). They tested the ability of this moth to feed on 30 species of plants in six families. Full development was restricted to the tribe Gomphrenae, although there was moderate feeding on other Amaranthaceae and two species of Chenopodiaceae. In South America, A. malloi was reared from Alternanthera hassleriana and possibly Philoxerus portulacoides (Maddox and Hennessey, 1970), and it was found to develop on Blutaparon vermiculare in the southeastern United States.
    [Show full text]
  • Alligatorweed Scientific Name: Alternanthera Philoxeroides Order
    Common Name: Alligatorweed Scientific Name: Alternanthera philoxeroides Order: Caryophyllales Family: Amaranthaceae Wetland Plant Status: Obligatory Ecology & Description The stems of alligatorweed are long (up to 4 ft), hollow, and branched to allow the plant to float. The leaves are opposite, elongated, and elliptical with smooth edges. Leaves have a defined midrib with small pinnate veins. The plant produces a small cluster of white flowers during the warm parts of the year. The flowers are fragrant and consist of 6-10 florets and produce one small seed. Habitat The plant roots in shallow water (less than 6 ½ ft) and then begins to grow out from the anchor. This can be problematic as it can choke off entire waterways. The plant grows in segments and can grow roots or stems out of the nodes that separate each segmented piece. Distribution In the United States, alligatorweed is found from the southern marshes of Virginia to southern Florida and westward to Texas and is found in some parts of California. Native/Invasive Status Alligatorweed is a perennial non-native species of plant from South America that was accidentally introduced in the state of Florida. It is considered invasive in the United States, New Zealand, China, Australia, and Thailand. Alligatorweed is also considered to be a noxious plant because it disrupts water flow and aeration when it becomes thick. In times of high rain fall it can lead to flooding due to its clogging of the waterways. Wildlife Uses Mats of alligatorweed can be good habitat for many aquatic invertebrates and small fish that may serve as a food source for wildlife.
    [Show full text]
  • Early-Season Dynamics of Alligatorweed Biological Control by Agasicles Hygrophila in Louisiana and Mississippi
    J. Aquat. Plant Manage. 55: 89–95 Early-season dynamics of alligatorweed biological control by Agasicles hygrophila in Louisiana and Mississippi NATHAN E. HARMS AND JUDY F. SHEARER* ABSTRACT weed flea beetle population dynamics and associated plant impacts in the southern United States. Timing of management can be critical to long-term Key words: aquatic weed, biological control, herbivore– biological control of weeds, but may vary by location with plant interactions, management timing, population dy- arrival (or releases) of agents during times when conditions namics, seasonal ecology. are unsuitable for agent population development. We investigated, during spring and summer, the timing of INTRODUCTION occurrence and intensity of damage (percentage of leaf area consumed) caused by the biological control agent Timing of pest management is important for success in alligatorweed flea beetle (Agasicles hygrophila Selman and both agricultural and natural systems (Paynter 2003, Carisse Vogt) on alligatorweed [Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) and Rolland 2004). In integrated pest management (IPM) Griseb.] at two sites in southern Louisiana and two sites in programs of weeds, application of management (e.g., northern Louisiana/central Mississippi. Alligatorweed flea herbicides, prescribed burns) may be timed to maximize beetle population peaks were documented at southern impact on the target weed population by exploiting sites in May (7.6 6 3.45 insects stemÀ1) and June (3.35 6 particularly vulnerable host phenological stages (McAllister 0.25 insects stemÀ1). Mean leaf damage at southern sites and Haderlie 1985, Pesacreta and Luu 1988, Luu and was 21 6 2% and maximum leaf damage was 76%, which Getsinger 1990, Owens and Madsen 1998) or coincide with coincided with the first peak.
    [Show full text]
  • Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team Biological Control of Invasive
    Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER Biological Control Biological Control of Invasive Plants in the Eastern United States Roy Van Driesche Bernd Blossey Mark Hoddle Suzanne Lyon Richard Reardon Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team—Morgantown, West Virginia United States Forest FHTET-2002-04 Department of Service August 2002 Agriculture BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF INVASIVE PLANTS IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF INVASIVE PLANTS IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES Technical Coordinators Roy Van Driesche and Suzanne Lyon Department of Entomology, University of Massachusets, Amherst, MA Bernd Blossey Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Mark Hoddle Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA Richard Reardon Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, USDA, Forest Service, Morgantown, WV USDA Forest Service Publication FHTET-2002-04 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We thank the authors of the individual chap- We would also like to thank the U.S. Depart- ters for their expertise in reviewing and summariz- ment of Agriculture–Forest Service, Forest Health ing the literature and providing current information Technology Enterprise Team, Morgantown, West on biological control of the major invasive plants in Virginia, for providing funding for the preparation the Eastern United States. and printing of this publication. G. Keith Douce, David Moorhead, and Charles Additional copies of this publication can be or- Bargeron of the Bugwood Network, University of dered from the Bulletin Distribution Center, Uni- Georgia (Tifton, Ga.), managed and digitized the pho- versity of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, (413) tographs and illustrations used in this publication and 545-2717; or Mark Hoddle, Department of Entomol- produced the CD-ROM accompanying this book.
    [Show full text]
  • Effects of Agasicles Hygrophila on Alligator Weed Growth
    Module 3 ~ Why Manage Invasive Plants (MS/HS) Effects of Agasicles hygrophila on Alligator Weed Growth UF Brain Bowl Laboratory Exercise Courtesy of Bill Overholt -- UF/IFAS Indian River Research & Education Brought to you by the Invasive Plant Education Initiative / Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/education Title: Effects of Agasicles hygrophila on Alligator Weed Growth Essential Questions: What is an invasive species? What is biological control, or “biocontrol”? Can the alligatorweed flea beetle (Agasicles hygrophila) be used as an effective biocontrol for the invasive alligator weed in Florida? Science Subject: biology, environmental science, life science Grade Level: Middle School/High School (6-12) Science Concepts: See list of suggested state standards at the end of this document Overall Time Estimate: Two 50-minute class periods, two weeks apart; plants will need to be grown in advance by either teacher or students Learning Styles: Visual and kinesthetic Vocabulary: biological control, defoliation, nodes, invasive species, host-specific Lesson Summary: Students work together to compare the growth of the invasive alligator weed plant when exposed to a biological control agent to the growth of an uninfested control plant. Students are introduced to the concept of biological control and to the ecological impacts of invasive alligator weed in Florida. Student Learning Objectives: Students will learn what a biological control agent is. They will also learn about Florida ecology and some of the impacts of invasive species. Materials Alligator weed plants – enough for each pair of students to have 2 plants (experiment and control). Alligator weed is a noxious weed, and you need a permit to collect samples for educational use.
    [Show full text]